Dorico vs Practice Log
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dorico
Create professional music notation and compositions with this powerful app. Easily input notes, edit performances, and share your work in various formats. It's suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
- Compose music notation
- On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard
- MIDI editing tools
- PDF, audio, MusicXML export
- Print to AirPrint
- Read mode with annotation
- Automatic engraving
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Compose your own music for free with Dorico. Create beautiful music notation for up to eight instruments quickly and easily with the on-screen keyboard, drum pads and fretboard. Play back instantly with the included sounds and shape the performance with powerful MIDI editing tools. When your piece is finished, share it as PDF, audio or MusicXML, or print directly to your AirPrint-enabled printer. Perform using the built-in read mode, and annotate with your Apple Pencil. Dorico is the award-winning music notation and composition software from Steinberg for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. It’s easy enough to learn and use that it is used by students in schools, and deep enough that it satisfies the needs of the most demanding professionals in the worlds of concert music, music for film and TV, and music publishing. Dorico for iPad is fully compatible with Dorico for macOS and Windows, so you can work on your projects on the move on your iPad and in your studio on your desktop or laptop computer, or share projects with musicians using Dorico on any platform. Dorico’s interface is split into four modes. In Setup mode, you can add and change instruments, create and reorder sections of music (called “flows”), and choose how your music will be formatted for your musicians into layouts. In Write mode, you can input and edit music and other notations using simple, well-organized toolboxes and panels. In Engrave mode (included if you buy a paid subscription to Dorico’s advanced features), you can make graphical tweaks to every item in your project. Finally, in Play mode, you have access to powerful sequencer-style MIDI editing tools, including piano roll and velocity editors. Dorico includes built-in virtual instruments and effects to allow you to play back your compositions, and you can also easily use any compatible Audio Unit plug-in or external MIDI device (with optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase), and tweak playback using the on-screen Mixer. Input music using an on-screen piano keyboard, or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad directly via USB or using a compatible USB-to-Lightning adaptor. If you have a Magic Keyboard or other external keyboard, you can make use of extensive keyboard shortcuts to work quickly and efficiently. Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players. Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight, allowing you to write for ensembles like string or wind quartet, or SATB choir. If you want to take your composition and arranging to the next level, you can buy an optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase to access more features and power: write for ensembles of any number of players, and gain access to Engrave mode, allowing you to make graphical tweaks to individual items anywhere in your project. HIGHLIGHTS • Best automatic engraving of any software • Easy note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard • Intelligently adjusts notation as you write • Any number of movements or pieces in a single project • Automatic layout of instrumental parts • Expressive playback using included sounds and effects • Supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors • Sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor • Sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion and drum set notation • Unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc. all handled correctly — no workarounds • Transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc. For support, please visit www.dorico.com/forum If you like Dorico, please support us by rating this app in the App Store. Thank you!
Practice Log
This app helps musicians build consistent practice habits with focused, organized, and measurable sessions. It supports intentional practice for any instrument, encouraging reflection on progress over time.
- Focused practice session timer
- Built-in metronome
- Accurate instrument tuner
- Practice history and progress tracking
- Weekly practice summaries
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Practice Log is a practice journal for musicians: start the timer, record yourself, then listen back. • Session timer and recording Start with one tap. Record the whole session, then play it back on a waveform — drag to the part that went wrong and hear it again. Recordings stay on your device. • Metronome and tuner A metronome with custom accents, subdivisions, and progressive tempo training. A tuner for guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola and more, plus a chromatic mode. • Sheet music Add MusicXML scores to any exercise and pull them up while you play. • Spaced repetition Built on FSRS — suggestions are based on how memory actually fades, not just how long ago you practised something. • Practice videos Turn a recording into a vertical video with waveform and beat grid, ready to share. Or share the original audio when your teacher needs to hear the whole piece. • Progress you can see Practice time and streaks are tracked automatically, with weekly and monthly reviews. Export everything at any time — your data is yours. For anyone building a daily practice habit, and for players who want to look back seriously. • PracticeLog Pro Advanced metronome, audio editor, practice video export, share links and full-history insights. Yearly subscription $9.99 (14-day free trial) or a one-time lifetime purchase $24.99, with Family Sharing; the App Store shows the exact price for your region. Recording, sheet music, tuner, basic metronome and data export stay free forever — your data is always yours. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be cancelled anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://practicelog.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://practicelog.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Practice Log at 100% against Dorico's 55%. Practice Log also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Dorico's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Dorico sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Practice Log sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Practice Log holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dorico has 2.2K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Dorico's written reviews are positive against 100% of Practice Log's.
Dorico ships an update every 3 weeks, Practice Log every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dorico | Practice Log |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (2.2K ratings) | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 975 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH | Tao Hong |
Customer experience
Dorico
Practice Log
Bugs and requests
Dorico
Reported bugs
5 issues- Crashes when opening or editing projects
- Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
- Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
- Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
- Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
- Improved file management and organization
- Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
- More customization options for layout and engraving
- Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop
Practice Log
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Dorico
- Dorico Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Dorico Annual Subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Dorico Lifetime Unlock$119.99
Practice Log
- PracticeLog Pro Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year
- PracticeLog Pro Lifetime$24.99









